


Ex's And Doubles

by Lawfuless



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-23 16:07:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6121986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawfuless/pseuds/Lawfuless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the sudden and unexpected loss of Jay Garrick, Harry Wells find himself turning to the comfort of one night stands to fill the empty void left behind. His brother, Harrison, only wants what's best for him. It's only with a new death at S.T.A.R Labs that there comes a change to the younger Wells' life. And his name is Hunter Zolomon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seeing Double

Harrison was giving him that look again when he got in. He could smell the breakfast, but he wasn't interested, instead going to make some coffee. He had the intent to leave the room as soon as Barry entered, taking a seat in one of the two chairs seated at the table, Harrison already taking a spot with his wheelchair. Instead, they both gave him this shared expression he knew by now meant they were about to have an argument they would insist on calling a 'discussion'.

"When I said you should try dating again, I meant actually looking for a relationship, not..." The older Wells gestured to his appearance, summing up the mess his life had become. Either way, he did his best to ignore the 'sage advise' of his brother, making himself a coffee and leaning against the counter. And yet Harrison continued. "Look, Harry, I just want you to be happy-"

Harry put down his cup with more force than he needed to, turning to send his brother a scathing look. "And I get that, Harrison. But I'm not ready for that kind of a relationship yet. You and Barry can kiss all you'd like, and confess you undying love, but I'm not ready for that kind of thing for myself. So don't ask me to, alright? ...It was hard enough to accept  _he_ died. I... I don't want to ruin the memories I had with him over a fling that probably won't work out." He stormed from the room.

Harrison, however, wasn't ready to be done with this. The sound of the electric wheels behind him let Harry know he was being followed into the living room. pacing in front of the coffee table, he shook his head. "Look, Harry, just relax. I'm willing to accept that you'll keep coming home at odd hours. That you spend your money at bars. That I won't be meeting anyone any time soon. But don't close yourself off. You know I know how you feel. Especially because of Tess. And it will get easier. But having someone to help you through it, someone you can talk to... It helps. If you won't talk to me, then at least make a friend to talk to. Please." The soft expression on the face that looked so much like his... The glasses glinting in the morning light... He was a softie for his brother.

Shoulders slumping as he stopped his aggressive pacing, he sighed, nodding, returning with Harrison to the kitchen to retrieve his coffee. "Fine, fine. I'll go and try to make a friend. But first, a shower. Maybe a jog around the park." He decided to make a piece of toast and eat it on the way to his room. Quickly, he decided jogging before shower, and changed into a pair of shorts and hoddie before heading to the door. He did pause in putting his cup in the sink to make a face at Barry who was kissing Harrison. That wasn't what he wanted to see before he left. Laughter was the last thing in his ears before he put in his earbuds and turned on his music, closing the door behind him as he left.

Jogging down the street to the nearby park, Harry worked on getting a bit of the stiffness out of his muscles. He paused to do a few quick stretches, then began to do laps around the park. Early enough that there were next to no kids, late enough it was rather warm and comfortable. He relished in the sun rays, smiling to himself, finishing a third lap.

It was half-way through the fourth that he just about tripped. He certainly slowed, putting his hands on his knees and yanking out his headphones. Only a few yards away, seated on a bench beneath a tree, was Jay. Or, someone who looked exactly like him. He rubbed his eyes, but the blond was still there, reading.

Unlike the Garrick he knew, he wore a pair of spectacles and dressed in blacks and greys. He seemed alert, but relaxed. Staring at something in the distance. Harry slowly continued, working up the will to go over there. Unfortunately, when he finally did, the other was already up and walking away.

Deciding that he'd had enough exercise for one day, he headed home and hopped in the shower before changing. Barry was already off to work, and Harrison was getting ready. "You look like you saw a ghost." He noted with a hint of concern as Harry stepped into the master bedroom, quickly grabbing a set of clothes for his twin.  He almost laughed bitterly at the words.

"Worse-- A dead man walking." The elder Wells didn't speak as he helped him onto his bed, pushing him onto his back and tugging his pants off as gently as he could manage with how shaken up he felt. "I... Think I saw Jay. Which doesn't make any sense, because Jay... doesn't look like what that guy did. And Jay doesn't have a twin." He pulled off his brother's boxers, ignoring the general weird feeling he got. It's not like he didn't deal with this often, but it still always felt weird. With some help from Harrison who adjusted them to be as comfortable as he could manage, he got a new pair and helped him into them. Next was a pair of loose jeans. It was hard to tell when pants were painful for him, so they always got them a few sizes larger than they needed to be. It's not like he walked around or stood up, so a belt took care of any potential problems.

As Harrison pulled off his own pajama top, he hummed thoughtfully. "I mean... He passed away. He couldn't have faked his death... But he could have a twin he didn't know about. You said he was adopted, right? So, he may not have known he had a brother?" he suggested. It was plausible enough.

Still, Harry sighed. "I suppose. Still, this... doesn't quite make sense." He carried his brother to where his chair waited, setting him down in it. "I mean, they frequented the same park. How could they have never met? It's highly improbable that they would have never met. The statistics alone..." he shook his head. "I'm not sure why I'm hung up over it... I know it's painful to think about, but it just..."

"It's important to you, Harry. He was important to you. And you just want to understand something strange you saw. It's understandable, really. ...If you want, I'll talk to some of the people at S.T.A.R Labs, or even Barry to find out more?" he offered softly. He smiled faintly at Harry then. "You know I'm here for you, right? I'll always be here for you."

Leaning down to hug his brother, the younger sighed. "I know. And I'll always be there for you too... Now, let's get you to work. See if we can't work some more on that project of yours... I still think the name 'Speedforce' could be improved upon, but as long as it works, we'll have you walking again in no time, huh?" He smiled back, the rare bout of happiness brought upon by the knowledge that he would always have someone by his side. "And we'll have to see. Who knows, maybe he'll be back tomorrow, and I can talk to him myself."

Following Harrison to the van in the driveway, he set up the ramp before closing the door behind him, getting behind the wheel and starting the car. Together they headed to S.T.A.R Labs, where both had worked. Harry was given some personal time off, considering it was hard to be there, but Harrison- ever the diligent worker- remained.

Harry's mind wandered a bit, and as he drove he considered the possibility of Jay having a twin. It was because of this he almost didn't see the police cars surrounding the labs. Braking and sharing a look with his brother, they shared a look and got out, taking the precious extra minutes to maneuverer Harrison out quickly and then around the cars until they were at the forefront. "What's going on?" The older Wells asked the main officer at the scene, Joe.

"There's been an accident, Barry. As well--" Harrison was already off. Harry looked to Joe, raising a brow and letting him finish. "There's also been a murder. It's Eddie." Inhaling, he nodded, then headed inside with the officer. Barry looked pretty rough, but Caitlin was helping and his brother was there to fuss over him. The body being wheeled out, Eddie Thawne, was covered in a black sheet. "We don't know who did it. Only that they attacked Barry from behind and then killed Eddie before leaving."

Slowly nodding, Harry looked up at the building whilst wondering when it would go back to being just a Lab, instead of the place that continuously brought grief. When he looked back down, he could see a flash of gold in the corner of his eye and as he turned he saw the Not-Jay approaching. To add to the list of things he didn't want to see.

Joe, seemingly understanding, moved in front of him. "Harry, maybe you should check up on your brother. Officer Zolomon and I will take care of this. Make sure Barry rests, and everyone stays away until the investigation team has deemed it save to go in again. As of right now, S.T.A.R Labs in considered a crime scene, to be closed to everyone."

The taller nodded, heading to his brother and Barry. Once they were good to go- Caitlin going with Iris for some moral support- Harry led them to the van and drove them, breaking the news. In the silence, he pretended he couldn't see the looks, focusing on the road.

"We'll find who did this. We'll bring them in... And we'll make S.T.A.R Labs safer. I promise." Harrison stated. His new mantra. Ever since the untimely deaths of Ronnie and Jay at the Labs, the Wells had been working on making it a safer place to work. Working on safer projects. Better things.

Harry nodded, feeling a bit hollow, but a tinge of guilty satisfaction. Officer Zolomon, huh? Even if it came at such a high price, he was glad he knew. This could help him put Jay to rest, he believed. He watched the lights, the streets, the people... And for the first time in a while, he felt... Okay. Like things weren't good, but would get better.

As long as things got better, he supposed he could live with what was happening. Maybe, just maybe, he could feel happy again.


	2. Enter Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finally gets his chance to meet Detective Hunter Zolomon. The price, however, is far from reasonable.

Hunter Zolomon was a nobody.

That wasn't to say that he didn't matter. That he wasn't important, or loved. Instead, it meant Harry's life was hell when it came to digging up information on the Detective. Even knowing his name didn't help. His name was barely on the latest roster list of the CCPD, and it took some bothering of Barry to get the information. With Eddie's death, there was a lot more secrecy when it came to the police.

He had been scanning through Jay's old file, trying to figure out how he had so little information on family when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked to where the gym was setup, but knew Harrison was doing his exercises and Barry would be spotting, meaning he wouldn't be getting the door. That left Harry to do it.

He swung open the door, leaning out a bit. He almost jerked back as he found himself standing at almost eye level to the stranger at his door. He did retreat a step back so he could better see him.

Standing there was the mystery man who he'd been trying to get information on for the past while. The blond looked at him intently, eyes a sort of piercing hazel, whereas Jay's had always seemed a kind blue. "Are you Harry Wells?" he inquired, voice low and gruff. Definitely not a people person, it was audible, as he could hear it in his voice that he didn't speak all that much.

"I am. You must be Detective Hunter Zolomon, I presume? ...May I ask into the intentions of your visitation?" He asked in retort, just a smidge concerned. He was an officer, after all. For him to show up out of the blue was seemingly uncalled for.

The man nodded. "Here for just a few follow-up question to you, your brother, and Bartholomew." He stated. Harry thus stepped aside, letting him in and heading off. He waved him to stay where he was, going to the gym and waving to the two, gesturing outside. He returned to where Hunter was, now looking over the documents on the table with furrowed brows. He looked up, confusion evident.

"Ah, those are just some records of my... Ex. Jay Garrick. He passed away recently, due to an accident in the lab. A rather unfortunate error that resulted in his passing was mostly my fault, as I rushed the plans instead of checking for safety. No known relatives, as his mother passed away due to complications and his father wasn't around." he stated, shaking his head.

The expression in Hunter's gaze was strange. Almost sad. "He looks..." The blond frowned, shaking his head. "Looks kind of like me." he finished, tapping the picture attached. "Wouldn't surprise me if we were... But I wouldn't know. I've been adopted a lot.... Sorry for your loss."

Harry waved it off, feeling strangely touched, as Harrison entered. He recoiled, just a bit. That must have been surprising, specifically due to his not being present when the Detective was around. He shot a look to Harry, then cleared his throat. "Welcome Detective. What can we do for you?" he asked.

Hunter glanced between them, something flickering in his gaze before he gave a low hum. "Ah, well, just a few standard questions. Any enemies, any thing you might have noticed before Detective Thawne's death..." There was more to it, but from the set of his teeth, they wouldn't be getting anything more out of him just yet.

"Well, Eddie was pretty well liked. I mean, he probably had a rivalry or two, but it was silly ones, like with Joe." Harrison input, looking to where Barry was entering the room. "As for strange... Well, there was this one thing." he admitted cautiously.

Harry sighed. "He means Eobard. Or so he calls himself. Some strange fellow who lives in the city. He claims he's related to Eddie in the future. Somewhat messed up in the head, he sometimes follows us around. Never does anything though."

"Except Eobard was put in a mental hospital a week ago and has thus far been recovering." Barry offered, shrugging. "I mean, we've had our fair share of enemies and jerks around. But no one who would outright kill people." he sighed.

They offered a few more ideas, but Hunter quickly assured them he had enough information to go off of for the moment. They could call him if they need anything. Then as an aside, he spoke with Harry at the door, mentioning he could see about what he could find regarding Jay's adoption record. Since it was being looked at after Eddie's death, they were considering looking at it. So if for whatever reason the information could help them, he would take whatever he could.

When he bade the taller man off, he head into the kitchen and slumped over the file, staring at it. His twin gave him that stupid knowing look. "You know, they say obsessing over the past is unhealthy." It was half a jab at his most recent hobbies, but also an admission of his brother telling him he knew what was going on in his mind when he looked at Hunter.

"I'm not obsessing over it. I was trying to find out the answer to something that would keep my mind of things. Now Jay might have a twin and might've been murdered, Eddie's been murdered, and if we don't figure out who did this, we'll never have S.T.A.R Labs open again. So... There's that." He didn't mean to sound snappy, but he felt tired. Like his emotions were drained and all that was left was the exhaustion and irritation.

The look slipped into sympathy. "I get it it. Sorry. I just get worried when you get like this. All trapped up in your head... Maybe you should go for a walk?" he offered. There was a hidden request to accompany him, but Harry had other things in mind, so he slightly shook his head.

"I think I have someone I need to talk to. Perhaps later, we can go on a little stroll."

* * *

His morning wasn't supposed to be spent in a place like where he currently stood, but that was how the cookie crumbled. He waited patiently until the figure was led out, and then he watched Eobard Thawne's face light up with interest at the sight of the Wells sitting across from him.

"Hello Harry." He smiled. "How is everyone?" He slightly tilted his head, leaning forwards. His sleeves slightly slid up to reveal faint knife wounds. "Surely by now you can go back to the Labs?"

The brunette stared at the blond, contemplating what to say. "I need help." He stated. "And if you help me, I'll give you information. Maybe even treat you to a big belly burger." He offered, and the man sat straighter. He almost smirked. Almost. It would be too cruel to do so, however, so he didn't. "The last weeks you were around us, the team, did you notice anyone following or watching us?"

The man leaned back, tilting his head in contemplation and biting at his lip. "Mhm, now that you've reminded me, yes. There was a man in black. Hid himself in the shadows. He followed Barry most of all. Almost as much as he did your lover boy. But he seemed... Not friendly. Like he was waiting for the right chance to shank you. Maybe even kidnap someone. Surely it wouldn't be a randsome payment."

Shuddering a bit in disgust, Harry nodded. "Thank you... As for my side of the bargin," He knew not to push too much for information. Not quite yet. "Eddie is dead. Murdered. Barry was attacked, but ultimately left unharmed. Jay is dead as well. S.T.A.R Labs are closed indefinitely until we can find the culprit and bring him in."

Eobard slowly nodded. It didn't seem he was all too interested in that. "There was a traffic cam he passed by when following you. He looked to the right for a second, just long enough it would have gotten a nice side-shot. It would be Sunday before the most recent Sunday." He noted. That was enough for Harry. He went to get the other his payment, and he looked very pleased with himself.

As he was beginning to leave, the other called out. "Wells... Do watch out for your brother. Your family tends to attract all kinds of weird, and I doubt you really want to drag Barry into this. Or any of the others, for that matter."

Harry headed out, trying to clear that from his mind. He called Hunter with the tip, and the other thanked him, though asked he refrain from doing any more 'police work'. The suspect was still on the loose after all.

He decided to head home, the excitement of the day wearing him down.

* * *

It was only upon his arrival at the house that he found the door smashed open. He carefully headed in. It was like a disaster zone. What truly frightened him, however, was seeing Harrison's wheelchair at the end of the room. It was upside down, a small pool of blood beneath it.

"Harrison?! Barry!" He called, searching. Then he heard it. A soft tapping. He headed towards it. The closet under the stairs. He opened it to find the two, and his heart dropped from his throat. "I-" he tried to say more, but he choked. Tears. He had felt such an intense feeling of panic. He fell to his knees, holding them tight. He fussed over Barry, who'd cut his hand on the chair in the rush to drag Harrison out of it and to the closet.

He never felt so relieved in his life, save for when his older brother had hit his head and passed out. He had felt the same panic as he did just a few moments before. And he realized he would do anything to protect his family.

Hunter arrived with Joe, and the elder Wells went with the Wests to stay over. To his surprise, the stoic detective offered a couch for him to sleep on. He accepted, grateful for the kindness offered. He headed back with the other to his apartment, helping set up the couch for a short-term stay.

"Thank you." he told him softly as the blond headed back towards the door to finish his work shift. "You didn't have to do this, but you did. And for that, I thank you."

Zolomon waved him off. "My mother- Miss Zolomon-, she taught me that when someone interests you, you should get close. Find out why they're interesting. Find out more reasons why they're interesting to you. Help them in return for their time... You just happen to have piqued my interest, Doctor Wells. Beyond that... Right place, right time."

As Harry slowly relaxed and found himself drifting, he decided he didn't really mind that Hunter wasn't quite like Jay. He liked the both similarly, even if it wasn't quite to the same extent. Still, between Eobard's words and the Detective's, he had to wonder.

Who else who get hurt because of him and his brother? Why them? Was he the reason Jay and Eddie were dead? What did that man want from them? Were they really cursed, that people who loved them got hurt? And if so... Would Hunter, would Barry end up suffering if they couldn't solve these questions?

Despite these questions bouncing around his mind, he managed to fall asleep, even if it was quite restless and ended up disturbed every once in a while. He went through a short period of wakefulness when Hunter returned and they had a quite conversation. Harry found himself slowly growing fonded of this man. Even still, they needed sleep, so he let him head to bed as he laid down again to sleep.

The last thing he recalled thinking... ' _I hope Eobard's lying, because I can't stand hurting more people because of this. I think I'm falling in love again... And I won't let this man in black take another soul away from me._ '

He recalled hoping to God that for once he could be happy. After everything, he felt like he could do with a break from loss. And he'd make sure he got it, no matter what it took.

That, however, could be settled in the morning.

 


End file.
